Quick click

ABSTRACT

The Quick-Click is a ceiling fan blade holder that utilizes spring-loaded balls to clamp a ceiling fan blade to it rather than traditional screws. To use The Quick Click, a user would press the spring-loaded button to make the balls move out of position and release their clamp on the fan blade. At this point, the user could remove a blade for cleaning or to change the blades. To reinsert a blade, the user would again press the spring-loaded button and insert the blade into the blade holder, lining up the holes in the fan blade with the balls located within the blade holder.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This U.S. Non-Provisional Patent Application does not claim priority to any United States Provisional Patent applications or any foreign patent applications.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The disclosures made herein relate generally to the new home and home improvement industry. The invention discussed herein is in the general classification of ceiling fan devices.

BACKGROUND

The building and construction and home improvement industries are booming in the United States. New buildings and homes are constantly being built and homeowners are constantly updating their homes. Within almost all structures, lighting is a necessity. Lighting can range from overhead lights on the ceiling to a variety of styles of lamps placed on furniture or hung from a wall. Often, lighting is placed underneath a ceiling fan.

Ceiling fans serve several purposes such as circulating air throughout the room and providing decoration or a design element to a room. Ceiling fans range from having only a few blades to having six or more. There are hundreds of styles and designs. Traditional ceiling fans have a set of three screws that are used to connect each ceiling fan blade holder to a blade. Once a homeowner or decorator chooses a design and installs it, it is difficult to change the ceiling fan blades without undertaking a large amount of labor to unfasten the plethora of screws. This makes it difficult to remove the blades for cleaning or to make stylistic changes to match the décor of a newly designed room.

Hence, there is a need in the art for an aesthetically pleasing, effective, affordable and convenient device to permit ceiling fan blades to be changed without unfastening numerous screws and undertaking intense labor.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The Quick-Click is a ceiling fan blade holder that utilizes spring-loaded balls to clamp a ceiling fan blade to it rather than traditional screws.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a fan blade holder that uses spring-loaded balls to secure a fan blade.

Another object of this invention is to provide an affordable fan blade holder that uses spring-loaded balls to secure a fan blade.

Another object of this invention is to provide an aesthetically pleasing fan blade holder.

Another object of this invention is to provide an easy to install and use fan blade holder that will allow a user to remove fan blades for cleaning or to change out the fan blades for stylistic reasons.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a ceiling fan blade holder that is universal in design and can be attached to almost any ceiling fan base.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 depicts a cross sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the invention cut along the line A-A of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 depicts an overhead view of the preferred embodiment of the metal balls and wire arrangement connected to the spring-loaded button.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The preferred embodiment of The Quick Click is a ceiling fan blade holder with an attaching mechanism on one end to secure it to the base of a ceiling fan, a set of balls attached via wires and a spring-loaded button attached to the wires.

FIG. 1 depicts the preferred embodiment of the invention. The preferred embodiment utilizes the traditional design and shape of the standard ceiling fan blade holder. On one end of the fan blade holder 1, two screw holes 2 operate as an attaching mechanism to the ceiling fan base (not pictured). On the opposite end, a fan blade 3 is attached to the fan blade holder 1.

The fan blade holder 1 contains a first set of three metal balls (not pictured) located above the fan blade 3 and a second set of three metal balls located beneath the fan blade 3 when the fan blade 3 is attached into a the slot of the fan blade holder 1. The metal balls are located inside the fan blade holder 1 and are attached via a set of wires (not pictured) also located inside the fan blade holder 1. The metal balls are located within the fan blade holder 1 and protrude through the fan blade holder 1 at locations corresponding to the locations of screw holes in traditional fan blade holders.

A spring-loaded button 4 is located on the top of the fan blade holder 1 and attached to the set of wires. In this preferred embodiment, the fan blades are made of wood, the fan blade holder and wires are made of metal and the spring-loaded button is made of plastic.

FIG. 2 depicts the preferred embodiment of the invention cut along the line A-A of FIG. 1. The fan blade 3 is sandwiched in a slot between the opposite sides of the fan blade holder 1. The metal balls 20 are located on opposite sides of the fan blade 3 within the fan blade holder 1 at locations corresponding to the location of the screw holes of a traditional fan blade holder and fan blade.

FIG. 3 depicts an overhead view of the preferred embodiment of the metal balls and wire arrangement connected to the spring-loaded button. The metals balls 20 are connected to the metal wires 30 in a triangular arrangement and operated via the spring-loaded button 4.

To use The Quick Click, a user would press the spring-loaded button to make the balls move out of position and release their clamp on the fan blade. At this point, the user could remove a blade for cleaning or to change the blades. To reinsert a blade, the user would again press the spring-loaded button and insert the blade into the blade holder, lining up the holes in the fan blade with the balls located within the blade holder.

The materials used to construct The Quick Click may vary widely but will likely include plastic, metal, and wood.

The metals would ideally be selected from available steel or alloys of steel and aluminum. The production process related to the use of these metals insures that the metal is non-corrosive, durable and strong. The selected metal should have high impact strength and be capable of accepting and retaining coloring materials for an extended length of time.

The plastic used in the production will ideally be selected for durability and longevity. Thermoplastics are commonly used in the manufacturing of components similar to those used in this invention. Polyethylene, polypropylene, and other similar thermoplastic materials would be among those with the necessary traits. Members of this family are recognized universally as being versatile and of high quality.

The plastic components of The Quick Click can also be formed with the use of plastic molding techniques, such as injection molding or blow molding. Injection molding requires melted plastic to be forcefully injected into relatively cool molds. As the plastic begins to harden, it takes on the shape of the mold cavity. This technique is ideal for the mass production of products. Alternatively, blow molding, a form of extrusion, could be utilized. Blow molding involves a molten tube being pushed into a mold. Compressed air then forces the molten tube against the cold walls of the mold.

It should be obvious that the components of the present invention can be of various shapes and sizes. For example, the balls of the present invention could have other shapes. The balls merely must be protuberances that are operatively connected to the spring-loaded button to clamp the fan blade in place. It should also be obvious that the components of the invention can be made of different types of plastics or other suitable materials and can be of any color.

It will be recognized by those skilled in the art that changes or modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the broad inventive concepts of the invention. It should therefore be understood that this invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described herein, but is intended to include all changes and modifications that are within the scope and spirit of the invention as set forth in the claims. 

1. A ceiling fan device comprising: (a) a ceiling fan blade holder with an attaching mechanism on one end for connection to a fan base; and (b) a ball located within the ceiling fan blade holder and connected to a wire also located within the ceiling fan blade holder that is attached to a spring-loaded button located on the ceiling fan blade holder.
 2. The device of claim 1 wherein the ceiling fan blade holder is made of metal.
 3. The device of claim 1 wherein the attaching mechanism is a set of screw holes.
 4. The device of claim 1 wherein the ball is made of metal.
 5. The device of claim 1 wherein the wire is made of metal.
 6. The device of claim 1 wherein the spring-loaded button is made of plastic.
 7. The device of claim 1 further comprising a fan blade attached to the ceiling fan blade holder utilizing a hole located in the fan blade and the metal ball located in the ceiling fan blade holder.
 8. The device of claim 1 wherein the fan blade is made of wood.
 9. A ceiling fan device comprising: (a) a ceiling fan blade holder made of metal with a set of holes on one end for connection to a fan base; and (b) a set of six metal balls located within the ceiling fan blade holder and connected to a set of metal wires also located within the ceiling fan blade holder and attached to a spring-loaded button located on the ceiling fan blade holder.
 10. A ceiling fan device comprising: (a) a ceiling fan blade holder made of metal with a set of holes on one end for connection to a fan base; (b) a first set of three metal balls located within the top of the ceiling fan blade holder and connected to a first set of metal wires also located within the ceiling fan blade holder and attached to a spring-loaded button made of plastic located on the ceiling fan blade holder; (c) a second set of three metal balls located within the bottom of the ceiling fan blade holder and connected to a second set of metal wires also located within the ceiling fan blade holder and attached to the spring-loaded button; and (d) a fan blade made of wood with a set of three holes corresponding with the location of the first set of three metal balls and the second set of three metal balls when the fan blade is inserted into the ceiling fan blade holder. 